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Texas ‘Kill Switch’ Crackdown Targets Illegal Machine Guns
HOUSTON – Federal authorities across Texas are turning up the heat on the proliferation of illegal machine gun conversion devices, known on the streets as “switches.” U.S. Attorneys from the Southern, Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas simultaneously announced “Operation Texas Kill Switch” Monday, a statewide initiative aimed at dismantling the trade and use of these dangerous devices.
The announcement came at a series of press conferences where U.S. Attorneys Alamdar S. Hamdani, Leigha Simonton, Damien Diggs, and Jaime Esparza, alongside Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agents in Charge Michael Weddel and Jeffrey Boshek, condemned the switches’ ability to turn ordinary firearms into fully automatic weapons. “Today is an important step to put on notice those who traffic in switches and who use switches,” Hamdani stated bluntly. “We will hold you to account.”
These “switches,” often measuring just an inch in length and readily manufactured on 3D printers, slot into the butt of a gun, allowing shooters to unleash a rapid barrage of bullets with a single trigger pull – a stark contrast to the single shot fired with each trigger pull on a standard semi-automatic weapon. ATF Special Agent Weddel emphasized the escalating threat, stating, “These ‘switches’…not only pose a serious threat to those living in our communities but a unique and deadly threat to law enforcement.” Simply possessing one is a federal crime.
The numbers paint a grim picture. ATF agents in Texas seized 991 switches between 2017 and 2023, with a staggering 490 – fully 50 percent – recovered just last year. These devices are increasingly being peddled on social media, reaching both adults and juveniles. Authorities have linked switches to numerous fatal shootings, including at least one juvenile mass shooting and multiple killings of police officers. The National Firearms Act classifies the switch *itself* as a machinegun, making its possession illegal except in very limited circumstances.
“Operation Texas Kill Switch” isn’t just about arrests. U.S. Attorneys are partnering with Crime Stopper programs statewide, offering cash rewards for information leading to the apprehension or prosecution of those involved in possessing or manufacturing switches or the 3D printers used to create them. Tipsters can reach Crime Stoppers by dialing **TIPS** and can remain anonymous. Information can also be submitted directly to the ATF at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips.
Hamdani, Simonton, Esparza, and Diggs urged local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with federal authorities on switch cases, which carry a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorneys detailed their strategy in a joint op-ed published Monday in the Austin American Statesman, laying out their commitment to stemming the tide of these deadly devices and restoring safety to Texas communities.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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